Water-ski with adjustable heel



Dec. 30, 1958 R. ROMIG 2,866,210

WATER-SKI WITH ADJUSTABLE HEEL Filed Feb. 21, 1956 fi/cfiara Z Ram/9i INVENTOR.

M BY

ATTORNEY States Unite This invention relates to a ski with an adjustable heel and more particularly to such a ski which is quickly and positively adjustable to fit the heel of any skier, adjustment being possible in infinitesimal gradients.

It is consequently a primary object of this invention to provide a ski having a heel adjustment which is adjustable in infinitesimal gradients to fit the heel of any skier whereas the toe hood of the ski is rigidly fixed to the ski base.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a ski of this class having an adjustable heel with position held against the resilience of a single leaf spring in a manner that variation in resilience or temper may not eifect the operation of the heel adjustment.

it is also an object of this invention to provide a ski of this class with heel adjustment mechanism constructed of few parts which are easily assembled and positive in operation.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a ski of this class which has an adjustable heel to resist rearward thrust thereagainst increasingly as such thrust increases.

Other and further objects will be apparent when the specification is considered in connection with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a water ski including an adjustable heel embodying this invention;

Fig.2 is a plan view of the water ski shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the heel adjustment shown to smaller scale in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation taken along line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings a water ski It) is shown comprising a base 11 which has an upwardly turned convergent forward end 1.; and a rear end 14 having rectangular corners. A fin 15 is attached centrally to the rear end 14 and extends downwardly therebelow to split the water and otherwise serve as a guide element or rudder. Centrally of. the longitudinal length of the base 11 there is mounted a hood element 16 of a general configuration to receive therein the toe of a skier, the hood having a horizontally extending flange 17 on each side thereof over which is fitted a hold-down bar 18 through which extend screws 19 to affix the toe hood 16 -to the base 11.

spaced distances from the longitudinal center line of the base 11.

Such tracks, as best shown in Fig. 4, are of a cross-section which includes a horizontally extending lower leg or base part 21 connected outwardly to an upstanding side. part 22 from the upper end of which there extends inwardly a horizontally extending upper part or leg member 23 of shorter length than the leg 21, and from the inner end of such leg 23 there upstands a flange or hearing member 24. Screws 25 extend through the inner part of the base leg 21 and connect it to the base 11. There is thus provided in each track 2%) a slot 26, and a base or heel assembly support plate or mounting member 27 is provided which extends between the tracks 20 and within the slots 26, such support plate being slidable upon the track base 21 and guidably restrained for travel parallel to the longitudinal axis by the upstanding side parts 22.

The plate 27 is cut away forwardly to provide cen- .trally a rearwardly arched forwardedge. A heel assemrivets 3S.

outwardly of the clip 33.

2,8662% Patented Dec. 39, 1958 bly includes a shield or heel member 28, preferably of rubber or other resilient material, upstands from the plate 27 and is curved transversely to the general configuration of the heel of a skier and has a horizontally extending flange 29 extending rearwardly from its base to fit upon the forward edge of the plate 27. A substantially semicircular or arcuate hold-down ring 30 is positioned upon the flange and screws 31 extend through the holddown ring 3% and flange 29 to make connection to the plate 27 to complete the assembly of support plate, heel shield, and hold-down ring, the hold-down ring thus serving as a part of the support plate assembly since it assembias the heel shield 23 to such support plate 27.

A leaf spring 32, of substantially V-shape in plan view, is positioned to upstand on a side edge, and is affixed to the hold-down ring 30 by means of a clip 33, a screw 31; slightly longer than the screws 31, connecting the clip 33 to the hold-down ring. The leaf spring 32 bears at its outer ends against the track flanges 24, the leaf spring being of greater length than the transverse distance between tracks, so that it is bent rearwardly on each side of its central part in the clip 33. It ends thus extend rearwardly at an angle less than ninety degrees from the longitudinal center line of the plate and ski, and each end of the spring bears against a track flange or bearing surface 24.

A handle 36 is provided on each plate and has a downwardly curved forward flange 34 extending over the forward face of the leaf spring 32 and connected thereto by Such handle 36 has a flat horizontal plate portion extending from the top of the forward flange 3d, and an arcuate flange 37 extends downwardly from the arcuate inner edge of the plate portion of the handle 36 and extends beyond the plate portion rearwardly to provide grips to facilitate manual grasping. A stop plate 38 is positioned centrally on the rear edge of the plate 27 and is of such length that limited inward movement of the handles 36 will bring them in abutment with the sides of such stop plate and thereby prevent the leaf spring parts 32 from being permanently deformed beyond its resilient limits so that it cannot return to a wider V-angle, the spring obviously being processed or inherently constructed with tendency to return to a wider V-angle or to a straight form.

it can be seen that at all times the heel 2% cannot slip rearward y regardless of the weight of the skier or the size and flexing of heel muscles or regardless of any rearward thrust against the ski heel exerted thereagainst in usage because this will only cause the outer ends of the leaf spring 32 to thrust more firmly against the track flanges 24-. The corners of the spring ends are preferably rounded so as not to bite into the metal of the track flange 24 and mar it.

The tracks it) are spaced from the toe hood 16 with due consideration being given to the longest foot length of any skier within contemplation and also with consideration given to the shortest foot length of any skier within contemplation. The ease of adjustment is obvious since it is only necessary to press the handles 36 together inwardly to release the spring ends from track contact after which the plate 27 may be slid in the slots 2% to fit the ski heel 25 to the heel of any skier.

The whole spring 32 need not be resilient in action but only the central part thereof or the parts thereof just Then, for strength under certain conditions the outer parts of the spring to this end .may be reinforced and made substantially rigid so that above described and also other structures are included as well as such may fall within the broad spirit of the invention and within the broad scope of interpretation claimed and merited for the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A ski comprising a base, a toe receiving toe hood thereon, longitudinaly extending trackways on said base spaced to the rear of said toe hood and equally transversely spaced apart one on each side of the longitudinal axis of said base, each trackway providing a slot therein and thereabove an upstanding bearing surface both facing said longitudinal axis, a heel assembly including a support plate slidable forwardly and rearwardly in said slots, an upstanding heel shield mounted on said support plate and curved transversely to receive the heel of a skier, a leaf spring of substantially V-shape in plan with side surfaces extending vertically and edge surfaces extending horizontally, and with the apex of the V forwardly and connected to said support plate transversely centrally thereof, the leaf spring part on either side of said apex being longer than half the transverse distance between said trackways and said leaf spring being so tensioned in construction that it tends to straighten whereby its free ends may bear forcefully against said upstanding bearing surfaces to restrain said support plate from sliding rearwardly in said slots responsive to the thrust exerted upon said heel shield by a skier, said leaf spring parts being yieldable to permit them to be drawn inwardly toward said longitudinal axis by the application of an inwardly acting force to draw said free ends out of contact with said upstanding bearing surfaces whereby said support plate may be slid in said slots to move said heel shield to fit the heel of an individual skier, and thereafter, when said inwardly acting force is released the tension in said spring parts urging said free ends outwardly to bear as stops against said upstanding bearing surfaces, said heel shield thereby being adjustably positionable in infinitesimal gradients to fit the heels of various skiers.

2. A ski as claimed in claim 1 in which said heel shield is of a resilient material flanged horizontally at base and in which said support plate includes a holddown ring for connecting said horizontal flange to said support plate.

3. A water ski comprising an elongated base having an upwardly curved, convergent forward end and a rear end having rectangular corners and a fin extending longitudinally downwardly from centrally of the under side of said rear end, a toe hood on said base substantially centrally of its longitudinal dimension to receive the toe of a skier, longitudinally extending, parallel track members of predetermined length spaced on said base a predetermined distance to the rear of said toe and equally spaced apart from the longitudinal center line of said base, each track member including in transverse crosssection an upstanding side part and a part extending horizontally inwardly from the upper portion of said side part and providing inwardly an upstanding inner surface, said upstanding part and said horizontally extending part thereby providing a slot below said horizontally extending part and inwardly of said upstanding part to face said longitudinal center line, a support plate extending between said track members and received in said slots with sides guidably restrained between said upstanding parts, an upstanding resilient heel shield curved transversely to receive the heel of a skier and having a horizontally extending bottom flange, an arcuate hold-down ring mounted on said flange, means extending through said ring and said flange to affix them to said support plate, a leaf spring of substantially V-shape in plan with side surfaces extending vertically and edge surfaces extending horizontally and with the apex of the V forwardly and connected to the rearmost part of said hold-down ring transversely centrally thereof, the part of said leaf spring on either side of said apex being longer than half the transverse distance between said upstanding inner surfaces and extending rearwardly at an angle less than to said longitudinal center line, and said leaf spring being so tensioned in construction that it tends to straighten to a straight leaf or to a wider V-angle than the V-angle to which said leaf spring is restrained by said track members whereby said free ends bear forcefully against said upstanding inner surfaces to restrain said support plate from sliding rearwardly in said slots responsive to the thrust exerted upon said heel shield by a skier, the resiliency of said leaf spring parts permitting them to be drawn inwardly toward said longitudinal center line by the application of inwardly acting force thereon spaced from said apex to draw said free ends out of contact with said upstanding inner surfaces whereby said support plate may be slid in said slots to move said heel shield to fit the heel of an individual skier, and thereafter, when said inwardly acting force is released the tension in said spring parts urging said free ends outwardly to bear as stops against said upstanding inner surfaces, said heel shield thereby being adjustably positionable in infinitesimal gradients to fit the heels of various skiers.

4. A water ski comprising an elongated base, a toe hood on said base substantially centrally thereof to receive the toe of a skier, longitudinally extending, parallel track members mounted on said base to the rear of said toe and equally spaced from the longitudinal center line of said base, each track member providing in transverse cross-section an upstanding part and a part extending horizontally inwardly from the top portion of said upstanding part, and providing inwardly one upstanding inner surface, said upstanding part and said horizontally extending part thereby providing a slot facing said longitudinal center line, a support plate extending between said track members and received in said slots with sides guidably restrained between said upstanding parts, an upstanding heel shield curved transversely to receive the heel of a skier, means included by said support plate for connecting said heel shield thereto, a leaf spring of substantially V-shape in plan with side surfaces extending vertically and edge surfaces extending horizontally, and with the apex of the V forwardly and connected to said support plate transversely centrally thereof, the leaf spring part on either side of said apex being longer than half the transverse distance between said track members and extending rearwardly and said leaf spring being so tensioned in construction that it tends to straighten whereby its free ends may bear forcefully against said upstanding inner surfaces to restrain said support plate from sliding rearwardly in said slots responsive to the thrust exerted upon said heel shield by a skier said leaf spring parts being yieldable to permit them to be drawn inwardly toward said longitudinal center line by the application of an inwardly acting force to draw said free ends out of contact with said upstanding inner surfaces whereby said support plate may be slid in said slots to move said heel shield to fit the heel of an individual skier, and thereafter, when said inwardly acting force is released the tension in said spring parts urging said free ends outwardly to bear as stops against said upstanding inner surfaces, said heel shield thereby being adjustably positionable in infinitesimal gradients to fit the heels of various skiers.

5. A ski as claimed in claim 4 in which a handle means is provided for each leaf spring part including a horizontally extending plate with a downwardly curved flange thereon connected to said leaf spring part as a reinforcement outwardly of said apex.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,000,257 Scholl May 7, 1935 2,327,783 Hains Aug. 24, 1943 2,382,149 Hartman Aug. 14, 1945 2,740,972 Taylor Apr. 10, 1956 

